DETROIT - Continental Prison Systems Inc., dba EZ Card and Kiosk, and Canteen Services of Michigan, recently expanded their strategic partnership to allow EZ Card and Kiosk to deploy its "cashless jail" solutions in several county jail facilities throughout Michigan.

Canteen Services of Michigan, a major entity in the commissary, food and inmate accounting services jail corrections space, is a licensed franchise of Canteen Corp. for a number of counties in Michigan. Since the beginning of the partnership, EZ Card and Kiosk and Canteen Services of Michigan have deployed their products in eight facilities throughout Ingham, Cass, Branch, Clare, Jackson, Kent, Muskegon and Newaygo counties, with another eight counties slated for implementation by the end of the year.

"To say I'm excited is an understatement,” said Mike Kraushaar, national account manager for Canteen Services of Michigan.

EZ Card and Kiosk recently expanded its financial transaction services offerings into county courts, probation departments and municipal police departments, incorporating similar alternative payment technology in assisting these entities to streamline operations and meet their obligations to the public under reduced operating budgets.

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"These types of strategic relationships with industry leaders is what EZ Card and Kiosk has strived for since the inception of the company over three years ago,” said Ronald Hodge, CEO of Continental Prison Systems. “Canteen Services of Michigan has the same goals as we do: save our facility partners time and money and make them more productive while working within their current reduced budgets."

"Strategic partnerships are the best way to quickly expand the footprint of the 'Cashless Jail Technology,' pioneered by EZ Card and Kiosk,” added Hodge.

Continental Prison Systems, Inc., dba EZ Card and Kiosk is the first kiosk, Internet payment and release debit card provider to introduce a full-suite product for the “cashless jail” model, according to the company. The company offers products to city and county jails designed to streamline and reduce many of the operational and personnel costs required to manage this aspect of jail operations.

Its proprietary software teamed with customized kiosk hardware and remote secure website technology creates a booking system that allows jails to collect and deposit the cash holdings of a new inmate, post bail by kiosk or remote website, allow an inmate’s family and friends to make deposits into his or her trust account by kiosk or remote website, and issue the inmate's money at the time of release via the EZ Exit Card, a PIN-based debit card.

The kiosks are secure and designed with user-friendly interfaces. Their goal, says the company, is to help convert the jail into a "cashless" environment through the use of kiosks for in-coming cash and the issuance of a debit card to an inmate at the time of release. In turn, the facility is relieved from handling cash, further reducing personnel time and expense, as well as errors and fraud, according to the company.